Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Casing
Different
Casing
Strings
Casing Programmes
Casing makes up a considerable part of the overall well cost
(<20%), so great care must be taken to design a casing
string which will satisfy the requirements of each well. eg:
Inner Casing
String
Casings have to
be cemented in
place to ensure
a competent
pressure control
system
Outer Casing
String
Cement Sheath
Cement being
injected
Types of Casing
Well now have a look at:
Conductor Casing
Surface Casing
Intermediate Casing
Production Casing
Liner
Conductor Casing
Surface Casing
The main functions of surface casing are to seal
off any fresh water sands, and ...
to provide structural support for the blow-out
preventer (BOP) and wellhead equipment
In an area where abnormal pressures are
expected the setting depth is important, as the
control equipment will need to be capable of
withstanding that pressure. If the casing is set
too high there may not be sufficient formation
strength at the shoe to handle a kick when
drilling the next section
The Robert Gordon University 2006
Intermediate Casing
Intermediate, or protection casing is used to isolate any
troublesome formations which would/could cause drilling
problems in the wellbore - a few examples:
sloughing shale
lost circulation
high pressure zones
Pore Pressure
Production Casing
This is usually the last string of casing to be run in the
wellbore and is either run through the pay zone
(reservoir) or set just above the pay zone (for an
open hole completion). Its main purpose is to:
isolate the production interval from other
formations such as water bearing sands, and
to protect the completion tubing (through which
the reservoir fluids will be transported to the
surface)
Production casing should be thoroughly pressure
tested. Usually the casing will be pressure tested to
around 60% of its specified burst pressure, if the
casing withstands that pressure it is expected to be
capable of withstanding higher pressures
The Robert Gordon University 2006
Liner
A liner is a short string of casing which does not extend
back to the surface. It is run back inside the previous
casing string to provide some overlap
Liners may be used either as an intermediate or
production string
The liner has the advantage of being much cheaper than a
full length casing string
If required, a tie back string can be run to extend the liner
back to the wellhead
A liner is usually less than 5,000 feet long. Overlap is
somewhere in region of 200500 feet and it is essential
that the liner overlap is gas tight
The Robert Gordon University 2006
(illustrative)
Casing
Size
~20
~133/8
~9-5/8
~7
~ 5
Bit Size
(Typical)
24 <
26
16 <
17-1/2
12-1/4
8-3/8 <
9-7/8
~ 6
4.3) Move
across
to
(actually
run
it
300400
First:
Point C which
feet
deeper)
Enter
the
mud
weight
identifies
the
4.4) Move up to Point
D mud
curve
at Point
Athe
weight
requirement
which
determines
4.5) Move
across to Point
(Total
Depth
(TD))
for
that
depth
preferred setting
E depth
to identify the mud
for the surfaceweight
casing/required at that
intermediate string depth
The Robert Gordon University 2006
Kick tolerance
Once the initial casing setting depths are
selected, the kick tolerance associated with those
depths should be determined. Start from TD up
to the surface to determine the kick tolerance and
preferred setting depth for each casing string.
The acceptability of kick tolerance values of less
than 100 bbls should always be justified by a
review of the type of well, capacity of rig
equipment for kick detection and
operator/drillers experience, area experience and
geology
The Robert Gordon University 2006
Design Bottom-to-Top
A design should be developed by well planning
that provides for economic production from the
pay zone consistent with safety requirements.
The pay zone should be analysed for its flow
potential and the drilling problems that will be
encountered upon reaching it. The well should be
designed from bottom-to-top. The opposite
approach can result in a well that limits the
production capacity of the pay zone
Further Reading
Virtual Campus/Moodle: ENM201 The Casing String
SPEs Applied Drilling Engineering (Red Book) :
Chapter 7 Casing Design
(NB This topic will be further developed during Semester 2 in the Drilling
Technology module)